Q What are the effects of heart disease in a partner on a couple’s relationship?

DESIGN

Qualitative study using an interpretive phenomenological approach with multiple interviews.

SETTING

University hospital in Basel, Switzerland.

PARTICIPANTS

24 couples who had been in a stable partnership for ⩾1 year, with 1 partner who had experienced an acute cardiac event and
completed a cardiac rehabilitation programme in the previous year. Exclusion criteria included heart failure in the patient,
terminal illness or mental disability in either partner, and current participation of the couple in counselling. Patients
were mainly middle-aged, married men (mean age 61 y), and partners were their wives (mean age 58 y).

METHODS

Couples were interviewed in their homes 3 times: an in-depth interview with the couple (mean 85 min), followed up within 6−8
weeks by individual interviews with each partner (mean 54 min). The semistructured interviews addressed disease onset, effects
on everyday life, changes in the relationship, and meanings for present and future life. Interviews were recorded, transcribed
verbatim, and analysed continuously to identify themes. …